* Possible successors to Senate Minority Leader John Sampson, including Sens. Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, are jockeying for his spot even though hes still leader, the Daily News reports: http://nydn.us/Jwhf62

* Rep. Kathy Hochul, the darling of the Democratic Party after her surprise special election win last year, is now the states most vulnerable House incumbent thanks to redistricting, the New York Times writes: http://nyti.ms/JPf5cp

* A proposal to reduce the assumed rate of return for New York Citys pensions from 8 percent to 7 percent may not go nearly far enough and reflects a nationwide challenge, the Times reports: http://nyti.ms/LwHg0Z

* A $750 million federally mandated safety program means the MTA will delay LIRR and Metro-North upgrades to ease congestion, even though it already spent $1 billion on safety improvements, the Post writes: http://nyp.st/JHqzoO

* Top New York City employees are donating much more money to President Barack Obama than to Mitt Romney, with Deputy Mayor Robert Steel the only donor to the presumptive Republican nominee, the Post reports: http://nyp.st/JHtyhe